Coke oven door



March 25, 1941. B. A. FREEMAN COKE OVEN DOOR 3 Sheots--Sheet l INVENTORfA/JHM/A//ff/w/v BY Y MA fl/M ATTORNEY March Z5, 1941. B. A. FREEMANcom: OVEN Doa Filed Feb. 9,- 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 VIII III/IA lINVENTOR fA/e/M//wffff/MA/ 1 al /g y u f ATTORNEY March 25, 1941 B. A.FREEMAN 2,236,092

COKE OVEN DOOR Filed Feb. 9, 1939 5 ShBBtS-Shet 5 Patented Mar. 25, 1941UNITED STATES nacer PATENT OFFICE COKE OVEN DOOR Maine ApplicationFebruary 9, l1939, Serial No. 255,418

11 Claims.

The general object of the present invention is to provide improvementsin plug type doors, and particularly self-sealing plug type doors, em'-ployed to close the ends of coking chambers of horizontal coke ovenbatteries.

The main object of the present invention is to provide a self-sealingplug type coke oven door, comprising a relatively rigid outer metallicsection, an inner plug section and a flexible sealing section comprisinga through plate interposed between the outer and plug sections andsupporting the latter, in which each of the three sections` is free toexpand and contract in a vertical direction relative to each of theother two sections, but in which horizontal movement of the throughplate relative to the outer section of the door, is restricted byconnections, specially provided for the purpose, between the outersection and through plate. The specially provided connections actdirectly on portions of the through plate at a substantial distanceinward from the marginal edge of the latter, and separate from theadjusting means acting between the outer section of the door andthemarginal edge of the through plate, and employed, as is customary, todeform the sealing edge of the sealing action relative to the outersection in order that the sealing edge may be brought into conformitywith a warped or distorted door frame sealing surface.

The use of the said special connections makes the inherent sealingsection iiexibility of the improved door seem less than that of certainknown doors in which the major portion of the through plate is notpositively held against horizontal movement relative to the outersection. However, it permits of a desirably greater inherent sealingsection iiexibility than exists in other eX- tensively used doors, inwhich a iiexible sealing plate member, which may or may not be a throughplate, is rigidly clamped against a seat on the outer door sectionwhich, in practice, must be closer to the sealing edge, than are theportions of the through plate to which the special connections are madein accordance with the present invention.

The use of said special connections eliminates an objectionable tendencyof the plug section of the door to wobble, or to assume an asymmetricalposition relative to the outer door section, which exists in doorshaving greater inherent iiexibility. In some cases, the use of thespecial connections may malte it impossible to safely deform the sealingedge relative to the outer section, by adjustment of the usual adjustingprovisions, to an extent sufhciently to bring the sealing edge intoengagement with the sealing surface of a distorted door frame, when thedoor is -not subject to a substantial locking pressure. I have foundhowever, that in such cases, the application to the door of a lockingforce of the usual magni- ,5

tude, and applied in the manner now customary will bend a suitablyconstructed outer door section and thereby additionally bend the sealingedge, as required to bring the sealing edge into sealing engagement withthe distorted door frame sealing surface.

A further object of the invention is to provide a coke oven door with animproved levelling bar doorway construction, and, in particular, toprovide a self-sealing coke oven door including a flexible throughplate' interposed between the outer and plug sections of the door with adesirable form of levelling door bar construction attached to andsupported by the outer door section.

Another specific object of the invention is to Y provide improvements inthe plug sections of a plug type coke oven door and improvements in themeans by which plug sections are supported from the through plates ofself-sealing colte oven doors.

The various features of novelty which characterize my invention arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention,however, its advantages, and various specific objects attained with itsuse, reference lshould be had to the accompanying drawings anddescriptive matter in which I have illustrated and described preferredembodiments of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through a pusher side coke oven door andthe end of a coking chamber closed by the door, the section being takenon the longitudinal central plane of the coking chamber;

Fig. 2 is a partial side elevation taken on the plane indicated by theline 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the broken line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1;

Fig, 6 is a perspective View illustrating details of construction;

Fig. 'l is a section taken similarly to Fig. 1 illustrating a coke sidedoor;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic side elevation of a portion of a door ofmodified construction;

Fig. 9 is a plan view of a portion of the structure shown in Fig, 8;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a plug section supporting memberemployed in the door shown in Figs. 8 and 9;

Fig. 11 is an elevation taken similarly to Fig. 1, illustrating amodified door construction; and

Fig. 12 is a section on the line I2-l2 of Fig. 11.

In the drawings, and referring first to Figs. 1-7, I have illustratedthe use of my improved doors in a conventional type coke oven batteryhaving horizontal coking chambers A, alternating with flued heatingwalls B, and in which the coke oven masonry is reinforced and supportedat the sides of the battery by a metallic armor comprising a ash plate C`at each heating wall end, and a corresponding vertical buckstay D bywhich the flash plate is held in place. At each end of each cokingchamber, there is a one piece metallic cast metal door frame ofgenerally rectangular form, and having an outwardly facing sealingsurface E' which extends around the doorway. The heating walls at theopposite sides of each coking chamber are recessed at their verticalcorners as indicated at B', to receive an inner portion of thecorresponding door frame member, which is of substantial horizontaldepth, and extends between the adjacent flash plates, and has an outerportion at the outer sides of said plates. In accordance with thepresent invention, the ash plates are spaced away from the sides of thedoor frame, to provide a joint of suitable width for the readyinsertion, and replacement or tamping, when necessary, of packingmaterial e, employed to make the joint gas tight.

As shown, each door-frame member E is anchored in place by yadjustableclamping connections between its sides and the adjacent buckstay membersD, of the character disclosed in the Wilputte Patent No. 2,025,967,granted December 1, 1935. Each such connection comprises a part d weldedto the corresponding buckstay D, a clamping lever F, and a bolt G. Oneend of the lever F bears against an outer edge surface of the doorframemember E, and the other end of the lever bears against the correspondingpart d. The bolt G has its head received in an undercut slot formed inthe part d, and extends through the lever F, midway between the ends ofthe latter, and. has a nut G' threaded on its outer end and bearingagainst the outer side of the lever F.

The coke oven door illustrated, comprises three m-ain sections, namely,a relatively rigid metallic outer, or supporting sec-tion H, an innerplug section P `and an intermediate relatively flexible sealing sectioncomprising parts I and I.

The outer section H, in the form shown, comprises main vertical sidebeam portions having web portions transverse to, `and base portions H'parallel to the adjacent side of the battery in the closed position ofthe door. The said side beam portions `are connected by upper and lowerend portions H2 and H3, respectively, and intermediate transverseportions H4 and H5, all of which may be welded to, or cast integrallywith the side beam portions.

In the preferred form of the present invention. the door, when in itsclosed position, is supported by the ldoor frame E through a suitableconnection between said frame and the outer door section H.Advantageously, and asshown, that connection includes an integral hookextension H6 of the top member H2, which engages a supporting shoulderEz forming the bottom wall of a central outwardly facing recess E3 inthe top portion of the frame E. As shown also, the lower end of the dooris centered, when in its closed position, by an inwardly extendingprojection H7 from the bottom portion of the section H, which is thenentered in an outwardly formed recess E4, formed centrally in the lowerportion of the door frame.

In the form shown, the intermediate sealing section of the door is ofthe known type sometimes referred to as the through plate type,comprising a flexible metallic plate body portion I, which extendsacross the doorway and into overlapping relation with the sealingsurface E', and which, in the closed position of the door, is engaged bya sealing rim or flange I extending transversely away from the plate Iat its periphery, and ordinarily having its sealing edge I2 bevelled offor sharpened. As shown, the sealing rim I' and body plate I areintegrally connected portions of sheet metal. In the closed position ofthe door, the sharpened edge I2 of the sealing rim abuts against andmakes a gas tight joint with the door frame sealing surface E', thelatter ordinarily being a machined surface.

The sealing section I, I', which supports the plug section P ashereinafter described, is itself supported through a connection betweenthe upper portions of the section H and the flexible body plate I. Inthe pusher side door construction illustrated in Figs, 1-6, the saidsupporting connection comprises a frame K at the outer side of the plateI, and surrounding the leveling bar opening I3 in said plate. As shown,the frame K is of angle bar cross section with one flange of the sectiontransverse to the plate I, and the sec-- ond flange parallel to andspaced away from said plate and rigidly secured by clamping bolts K'against the portion H2 of the outer door section H. The flange of theframe K transverse to the plate I, is welded to the latter at the marginof the opening I3. I

Below the connecting frame K, the sealing section plate I is connectedto the outer door section by means which include a plurality ofconnecting parts L and which do not interfere with the thermal expansionin the vertical direction of the plate I relative to the section H. Asshown, each part L is of angle bar cross section, with one flangeparallel to, and held by bolts M against the inner side of an adjacentportion H' of the outer section H. The second flange portion of eachmember L extends transversely to the plate I and is welded to thelatter. In the preferred construction illustrated, the last mentionedflange extends through an opening formed for the purpose in the plate I,and has a hook portion L at the inner side of said plate, the plate Iand the part L being welded together all along the margin of saidopening. As shown, the members L are arranged in pairs at differentlevels and each intermediate the vertical center line of the plate I andits margin, and at a substantial distance from the latter so as not toobjectionably interfere with the desired flexibility of the marginalportion of the sealing section.

To accommodate the relative vertical expansion of the lower portions ofthe plate I and section H, the connecting bolts M are shown as formedwith enlarged portions or shoulders M' adjacent their heads which arereceived in vertical slots H8, formed in the flanges H', the portions ofthe bolts at the inner sides of the enlarged portions M' passing throughand fitting snugly in holes formed in the members L.

The lower portions of section H and plate I Vaisance are connected byspecially shaped metal plate parts LA, which are connected to the doorsection I-I by shouldered bolts M just as are the parts L, and whichhaveone flange alongside and in Contact with the plate I and connected tothe latter by ordinary bolts m. The bolts m also extend through 'aVertical plate portion N of a plug section supporting member. Thatmember comprises in addition to the plate N, a horizontal bottom plateN', a pair of vertical plates N2 and an upper horizontal plate N3. Thediierent parts N, N', N2 and N3 are welded together. The vertical platesN2 and top plate N3 serve not only to stien the bottom plate N and tostrengthen its connection to the plate N, but also form the side and topwalls of the burner passage customarily provided in the lower portion ofsuch a coke oven door, to permit a gas burner to be extended into theoven chamber during the initial heating up of the battery. After theinitial heating up of the oven, the inner portion of the burner passageis ordinarily closed byrefractory material, and the outer portion of thepassage is closed by a plug N4.

As shown, the plate N does not extend inwardly to the inner side of theplug section of the door, but supports a cast metal plate like part O,which may extend to the innerside of the plug section. The part O isslotted to receive the vertical plates N2, and is formed withprojections O' at its lower side, which extend into openings formed forthe purpose in the bottom plate N', and thus hold the plate O againsthorizontal displacement relative to the plate N. As shown in Fig. 1, theplug section of the door comprises superposed bodies P', P2 and P3 ofrefractory material. While each of said bodies may be formed of aplurality of fire bricks or blocks suitably conneoted together, I nowconsider it preferable to have each body in the form of a monolithicmass of suitably refractory concrete, which ordinarily does not requiremetallic reinforcing.

The lower body P' rests at its lower end on the plate O and is formedwith a burner passage recess Within which the support plates N2 and N3are received. At its upper end, the body P is formed with a centralshallow recess or socket P4, of rectangular outline and with inclined,horizontally disposed channel like extensions P5 running to the outerside of the plug section. At its outer side, the body P is also'formedwith vertical recesses P6 and P". The two recesses P6 receive the hookportions L of a corresponding pair of members L. The two recesses P'Ireceive the oppositely extending ends Q' of retaining member Q formed bybending a metal rod into the form of a yoke. The ends Q' pass throughthe hook notches L2 of the corresponding pair of hook portions L', andthe leg portions of the member Q are received in the correspondingchannels P5, and the central connecting portion of the member Q iswithin the recess P4 and adjacent the vertical outer wall ofthat recess.The rod Q thus forms a locking yoke or bail which normally extends aboutthe upper portion of the body P' lying at the outerside of the recess P4and between the channels P5, and thus holds the upper end of the body P'against -signiicant horizontal movement relative to the plate I. Tofacilitate its manipulation in assembling and disassembling the door thebody P is shown as formed with recesses P8 in its opposite sides, forengagement by joist hooks or lifting means.

In the assembled door, the central top recess P4 of the lower section-P' receives an integral.

tenon like projection P9 from the underside oi the adjacent intermediatesection P2. There are three in the particular `door form shown in Fig.1, all of which may be exactly alike. As shown, each intermediatesection P2 has a projection P9 at its lower end, and is formed at itsupper end exactly like the lower section P', and is normally engaged atits upper end by a corresponding locking yoke member Q. The top sectionP3 of the pusher side door shownin Fig. 1 is made in two separate parts,and forms a refractory cover for the corresponding subjacent recess P4and locking member Q, and has its upper side inclined downwardly andlocated suilciently below the path of movement of the levelling bar forclearance purposes.

Associated with the levelling bar opening in each coke side door is alevelling bar doorway structure comprising normally closed door R, whichis hinge connected by vertical pintle means R to an outer leveller bardoor frame member R2. The latter is bolted to the top portion H2 of theouter door section, and is provided with a retaining hook R3, forengagement by a plvoted ,locking bar R4 by which the door may bedetachably secured in its closed position. The member R2 surrounds theouter portion of the leveller bar passageway and is in end to endrelation with a hollow member R5 extending through the sealing plateopening I3, and bolted to `the top portion H2. In the preferredconstruction illustrated, the inner edges of the vertical sides of thepart R3 are flared away from one another so as to substantially shieldthe portions oi" the sealing plate I alongside the level-` ling baropening, against radiant heat from the coking chamber and againstcontact with the names, passing toward and through the levelling bardoorway during the charge levelling operation. The bottom wall `or" thepart R5, like the bottom wall of the part R2, is downwardly inclined andshields the portion of the plate I below the leveller bar opening andabove the plug top section P3, against the absorption of radiant heatfrom the oven. Said bottom wall inclination also minimizes the extent towhich coal is moved out of the levelling bar opening in the chargelevelling operation, and permits tar condensing in the doorway structureto drain back into hotter portions of the oven.

The door is adapted to be locked in its closed position and the propersealing pressure established, by means of locking bars S at the outerside of the outer door section, and adapted to engage the inner side ofthe door retaining hooks U connected to the door frame, and meanscreating a force acting between the door section I-I and each lockingbar in a direction to move them apart. For the purposes of the presentinvention, it is immaterial whether the locking force is due to springaction, as it is in the case of some doors now in use in this country ofthe general type shown, for example, in the Potter Patent No. 2,157,569granted May 9, 1939, on an application, iiled June 12, .1.937, or is dueto the more extensively used nut and screw connection between the outerdoor section and locking bars, one form of which is illustrated in Fig.3. As shown in that figure, each locking bar is mounted on the outerdoor section H, by means of a corresponding locking spindle or screw T,on the outer end of which the locking bar is swivelled. As shown thespindle extends through the locking bar and is formed with a collar T',bearing at its outer end against an integral portion of the locking barand at its inner end against a collar T2, removably secured in thelocking bar as by a set screw T3. The threaded inner body portion ofeach spindle T, is threaded through a nut t mounted in the correspondingintermediate portion H4 of the outer door section. As will be apparent,when either locking bar spindle T is rotated in one direction, it tendsto move the corresponding locking bar away from the door. Such rotationof the spindles T, when the ends of each of the locking bars are inengagement with the corresponding door retaining hook projections U,from the door frame E, is thus adapted to force the door inward andestablish the proper sealing pressure between the door frame surface Eand door sealing rim I', and locks the door in its closed position.Rotation of the spindles T in the opposite direction, relieves thesealing pressure and unlocks the door. For engagement by an operatingwrench, or power driven spindle, the outer end portion T4, of eachspindle T, may be squared.

The sealing member is directly supported and has its marginal portionsheld at the proper horizontal distances from the outer section of thedoor, by so-called adjusting connections. The latter may be of variousknown forms, and, as shown, each comprises a pair of verticallyadjustable wedges V and V2 engaging the inner and outer edges,respectively of a corresponding projection or projections V from therigid outer door section H, and each acting between said projections.and the corresponding end of a slot formed in a thrust bar part V3. Thelatter may thus be horizontally adjusted in the direction of its length,by vertical adjustments in opposite directions of the two correspondingwedges V' and V2. As shown, each part V3 bears at its inner end againsta pad V4 welded to the outer side of the plate I adjacent its margin.The adjusting connections illustrated were not invented by me, but byJoel Sanford Potter, and are illustrated and described in his abovementioned application.

The upper of the two intermediate portions H5 of the outer door sectionis shaped for engagement by a door lifting hook W of a, door machine,and the lower intermediate portion H5 is shaped for engagement by a doormachine hook W', which in the door removing operation, customarily takesno part of the weight of the' door, but holds the door against movementrelative to the lifting hook W, while the latter is in operativeengagement with the door.

The door construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6 is characterized byits relative mechanical simplicity and durability, and by thecomparative ease with which it can be assembled, and disassembled whennecessary for repairs. The door is operatively characterized not only bythe simplicity and effective character of the provisions forestablishing a door sealing pressure per door as great as conditions maymake desirable, but also by the avoidance of stress conditions tendingto weaken the door and shorten its effective life. The plug sectionparts P', P2 and P3, may freely expand and contract in response tochanges in temperature without creating any adverse reaction on oneanother or on the other sections of the door. Each of the three maindoor sections H, I, I' and P is substantially free to expand in thevertical direction relative to each of the other sections, which isespecially important because of their construction and the differenttemperature conditions to which they are subject.

With the weight of the plug section carried by the sealing plate Ithrough a plug section support secured to the lower end of the plate,and with the sealing plate suspended from the upper portion of the rigidouter section as described, the transfer of the weight of the doorbetween the door frame shoulder E2 and the door machine hook Vv',involves no significant change in direction or magnitude of thegravitational stresses to which the sealingV and plug sections of thedoor are subject.

For a full appreciation of the advantages of the above described doorconstruction, account should be taken of the considerable dimensions andheavy weight of coke oven doors and the high temperatures to which theyare subjected. Such a coke oven door is seldom less than 12* feet, andmay be more than 15 feet, high, and its weight is ordinarily in theneighborhood of two and onehalf tons. The refractory plug sectionmaterial is normally incandescent, and it may attain a temperatureappreciably in excess of 2,000" F. While the temperature of the metallicsealing section is necessarily very much lower, it is normally not muchbelow the maximum which the sealing section metal can safely withstand,and the spacing of the sealing plate I away from the outer side of theplug section reduces the rate of heat transfer to the plate, contributesto a suitable low plate temperature.

The major portion of the coke oven door weight is that of the plugsection refractory material, and there is an objectionable tendency,avoided in a door constructed as described above, for the plug sectionto wobble and to work into an undesirable asymmetrical position relativeto the outer section of the door, when the weight of the plug section issupported by a through plate, the major portion of which is not directlyrestrained against movement relative to the outer section of the door,by means like, or equivalent to, those including the previouslymentioned connecting parts L.

While ordinarily, the different door frames of a coke oven batterydiffer in the extent and character of the distortion which they developin use, in general, the major deformation of each door frame, is aninbowlng of the vertical side portions of the frame. After a few weeksor months of regular operation, the extent of this bowing is such thatat a level midway between the top and bottom of the door, the sealingsurface E' of a door frame E of the character shown, may be displacedinwardly away from the plane including the upper `and lower horizontalportions of the sealing surface, by a distance which ordinarily is abouta quarter of an inch, but sometimes is as much as three-eighths of aninch.

A corresponding deformation of the sealing edge I2 relative to the outerdoor section H, cannot be effected Without serious risk of injuring thethrough plate, when the latter is connected to the outer door section byarms L and LA. I have found, however, that substantially more, perhapstwice as much, deformation of the sealing edge, is safely obtainable bybending an outer door section of suitable construction, and therebybending the sealing section, as is safely obtainable by bending thesealing section without correspondingly bending the outer door section.

In the ordinary contemplated use of my improved door, therefore, thewedges V' and V2, will be adjusted to effect a fraction only of thesealing edge deformation required to bring the` sealing edge I2 intosuitable engagement with the sealing surface E', prior to the subjectionof the door to the normal locking force. With the wedges so adjusted,the application of the normal locking force will bend the outer doorsection, if of normal or suitable stiffness, as much as is needed forthe total sealing edge deformation required.

While an outer door section of suitable dimensions and form iscustomarily regarded as rigid, and properly so for many purposes theouter door section is in effect a beam which will deflect to asubstantial extent when subjected to a loading of the magnitude of thedoor locking force of thirty thousand pounds or so per door, nowemployed and considered proper and readily obtainable with the doorconstruction illustrated.

The coke side door shown in Fig. 7 differs in principle from the pusherside door shown in Figs. 1-6, only in that it has no leveller baropening and associated doorway structure. As shown, the exible plate Iof the coke side door is suspended from the upper portion of the outerdoor section H, through parts LB, which are located at about the sameelevation as the frame K of the pusher side door, and are Welded to theplate I, and are positively clamped to flange portions I-I of thesection I-I by ordinary clamping bolts m. As shown the members LB are`formed with hook portions L in which thewcorresponding locking yoke ismounted. The plug section bodies P, P2 and P3 of the coke side door, maybe exactly like the corresponding parts of the coke side door, excepttha-t since the plug section is taller in the coke side door than in thepusher side door, there may well be one more intermediate body P2 in thecoke side door than in the pusher side door. In the particular doordesigns shown in Figs. 1J?, the coke side door has three intermediatebodies P2, and the pusher side door has two. In each door, eachintermediate body P2 is about thirty inches tall.

With the plug section construction shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the two upperand lower ceramic bodies P2 meeting at a jointat which a member Q entersthe plug section column, are interlocked against the horizontal movementof any one relative to either of the other two. As shown in Figs. 1 and2, this result is secured by directly interlocking the member Q with thelower of the two bodies P2, and by directly interlocking the two bodiesP2 with one another. As will be apparent, however, the same generalinterlocking result can be obtained in other ways, one of which isillustrated, by way of example, in Figs. 8, 9 and 10. In those figures ametallic retaining member QA, serving the purpose of the previouslydescribed member Q, is arranged to directly interlock with the two plugsection bodies PA2 which meet at the joint at which the member QA islocated and which are not shaped to directly interlock with one another.The member QA, which may be made of wrought steel or may be a semisteelcasting, is of yoke form, and has the base portion, QA', of the yoke, inthe form of a vertically extending plate with an upper portion above,and a lower portion below the leg portions of the yoke. The lower bodyPA2 is formed with grooves PA5 in its top surface and with a deeperconnecting recess portion PA, which receive the lower half of the memberQA, and the upper body PA2 is formed with grooves and a connectingrecess portion, which are `counterparts of those formed in the lowerbody and receive the upper half of the member QA.

The general type oi plug section and mounting hereinbefore described hasnumerous special advantages. A refractory plug section column composedof four or five superposed monolithic masses very simple and relativelyinexpensive in construction, and the monolithic masses are small enoughto indefinitely withstand the cracking and disintegrating tendency ofthe temperature conditions to which they are subjected, and which sooneror later would be apt to result in the destruction, or seriousdeterioration, of substantially longer monolithic masses. The simplemanner in which the superposed bodies are interlocked with one anotherand with the metallic supporting members entering the plug section fromits outer side, is effective, and facilitates the assembly of the plugsection, and its disassembly when necessary, and imposes no restraint onthe relative expansion and contraction of each pair of superposed bodiesand the metal part with which they are interlocked.

The plug section formed of superposed refractory bodies interlocked asdescribed, has ample stability, particularly since, as those familiarwith the operation of coke oven batteries will understand. there ispractically no need to ever tilt such a coke oven door out of a generalvertical position in normal operation. When an extensive door repair orrebuilding operation is necessary, it is a comparatively simple matterto remove the superposed blocks, one at a time at the beginning of theoperation, and to replace those blocks at the end of the operation.

However, the general advantages of the type of door illustrated in Figs.l-lO, and not pertaining to the construction of the plug section, areobtalnable with doors including other plug section constructions, one ofwhich is illustrated in Figs. l1 and l2. In the last mentioned gures therefractory plug section material is in the form of bricks or blockswhich are supported by the through plate IA of the door in anadvantageous manner. Except in respect to its plug section andsupporting means, the door shown in Figs. 1l and l2, need not differ inany essential respect from that shown in Figs. l-6. As shown, however,the connections between the through plate IA of Figs. 11 and l2 and theouter and plug section of the door tend to less inherent through plateflexibility, than is obtainable in the door constructions previouslydescribed, and to compensate for this difference, the plate IA mayadvantageously be made somewhat thinner than the plate I. The latter,for example, may well be made of sheet steel three-sixteenths of an inchthick, while the plate IA may well be made of sheet steel one-eighth ofan inch thick, though the plate thickness may be greater or less witheither constructon. With the thinner plate IA, the sealing rim IA maywell be of angle bar cross section, as shown, with one flange transverseto, and the other alongside, and welded to the plate IA.

In Figs. 1l and 12, a one piece device LC replaces each pair of side byside arms L located at the same level in the construction firstdescribed. Each of the devices LC is of a U-shape, and has its portionalongside, and its leg portions extending away from the plate IA. Eachleg terminates in a transversely bent end portion alongside andconnected to a portion I-I of the outer section H. Each leg portion ofthe device LC, with its transversely bent end portion, the plate maythus be practically identical in form with the portion of eachsupporting member L extending away from the plate I, at the outer sideof the latter.

In the arrangement shown in Figs. 11 and 12, each of the plug sectionceramic material courses is shown as composed of one wide brick or blockP111 and one narrower brick or block P11, arranged side by side, andwith the joint between them extending in the general direction of theaxis of the door, though the joint is advantageously at one side of saidaxis and curved as shown. The blocks P111 and P11 in adjacent coursesare reversed, so that the joint between the two bricks in each course ishorizontally displaced from the joint between the two bricks of eachadjacent course.

A considerable portion of the weight of the plug section brickwork isborne by the bottom support NA which extends under the column, but aportion of the weight of the bricks is borne by superposed cast ironbrickholders, comprising a lower brickholder W, intermediatebrickholders W and an upper brickholder W2. The bottom support NA is anintegral portion of the lower brickholder W. Each of the brickholders istrough shaped in cross section, with the sides W3 of the trough atopposite sides of the outer portion of the brickwork column. Each troughside is formed at its edge with an inwardly extending rib W4, whichextends into recesses provided for the purpose in the outer side edgesof the corresponding bricks or blocks P10 and P11, and thus interlocksthe latter with the brickholder. Each of the brickholders is connectedto and independently supported by the through plate. As shown, eachbrickholder is connected at an upper level to one, and at a lower levelto a second of the previously mentioned connecting members LC, byclamping bolts m which extend through the interposed through plate andrigidly clamp the latter between the corresponding brickholders andparts LC.

Each of the intermediate brickholders W', is formed at each end with twohorizontal web portions W5 shown as triangular in form and extendingbetween the side and flat bottom portions of the brickholder. The lowerand upper brickholders W and W2 are formed with similar web portionsonly at their upper and lower ends, respectively. These web portions W5extend into the brickwork, and support a portion of the weight of thelatter, but, in general, a portion of the weight of the brickwork at theupper levels, as well as at the lower levels, is supported by the bottomsupport NA. As will be apparent with the plug section brickworksupported and arranged as shown, the relative expansion and contractionof the brickwork, brickholders, and the through plate are accommodatedwithout subjecting any ofthe parts to disruptive stresses.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best forms of embodiment of my inventionnow known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art thatchanges may be made in the form of the apparatus disclosed withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention as set forth in the appendedclaims and that in some cases certain features of my invention may beused to advantage without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and `desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A self-sealing coke oven door comprising irl combination, arelatively rigid metallic outer section, an inner plug section, asealing member comprising a flexible through plate interposed betweensaid 'outer and plug sections, supporting means secured to said platethrough which the latter supports the weight of the plug section, aconnection beneath the upper portions of said plate and outer sectionthrough which the latter supports the Weight of the plate and plugsection, connections between said outer section and verticallydistributed portions of said plate below the first mentioned connectionand between and displaced from each of the two side edges of the plateand adapted to oppose horizontal movement and to permit verticalmovement of said distributed portions relative to said outer section,and adjusting means acting between said outer section and the portionsof said plate distributed along the margin of the latter.

2. A self-sealing coke oven door as specified in claim 1, in which thesaid connections to the vertically distributed portions of the throughplate, are arms secured to and extending outwardly away from the plateand in which each arm is connected to said outer section by a boltextending through parts of said arm and outer section one of which partsis formed with a vertical slot through which said bolt extends.

3. A self-sealing coke oven door as specied in claim 1, in which theouter section comprises plate-like portions at its innerside generallyparallel to said through plate and in which the said connections tovertically distributed portions of the through plate are arms secured toand extending outwardly away from the plate and each having atransversely bent outer end portion and in which each arm is connectedto the outer section by a `bolt extending through the transversely bentportion `of the arm and through the said plate-like portion of the outersection and in which one of those portions is formed with a verticalslot through which the bolt extends.

4, A self-sealing coke oven door as specified in claim 1, in which aleveller bar opening is formed in the through plate adjacent its upperend and in which a levelling bar door frame structure, including aportion extending through said opening, is rigidly connected to saidouter section and to said plate at the margin of said opening.

5. A self-sealing coke oven door as specified in claim 1, in which thesaid connections to the vertically distributed portions of the throughplate comprise arms extending through and welded to said plate andcomprise hook portions at the inner side of said through plate adaptedfor engagement with plug section supporting means.

6. In a plug type self-sealing coke oven door, the combination with aplug section comprising a column of superposed separable bodies ofrefractory material, of supporting means comprising a part extendingbeneath said column and sup-porting the weight of the latter, and ametallic member mechanically connected to said supporting means, andextending into the column from the outer side of the latter at the jointbetween two superposed bodies, the body ends adjacent the joint beingshaped to provide a recess space receiving said member and to provideshoulders which in conjunction with said member interlock each of thetwo bodies and said member against relative horizontal movements, saidrecess having its top wall formed by the upper one and its bottom wallformed by the lower one of said two bodies, whereby said member may beextended into and removed from said recess when the two bodies arevertically separated.

7. In a plug type self-sealing coke oven door, the combination of a plugsection comprising a column of superposed separable bodies of refractorymaterial, the Iadjacent ends of adjacent upper and lower bodies beingrelatively shaped to interlock the two bodies against relativehorizontal movement and to provide a recess space with its top andbottom walls formed by the upper and lower bodies respectively, andmetal supporting means including a part extending beneath and supportingthe weight of the column and including a metallic member extending intosaid column from its outer side and having a portion within said recessand held by the recess walls against horizontal movement relative tosaid column.

8. In a plug type self-sealing coke oven door, the combination of a plugsection comprising a column of superposed separable bodies of refractorymaterial and having registering recesses formed in the adjacent ends ofadjacent upper and lower bodies, and metal supporting means including apart extending beneath and supporting the weight of the column andincluding a metallic member comprising upper and lower portionsrespectively received in the recesses in said upper and lower bodies.

9. A coke oven door as specified in claim 6 in which the said recessspace extends about a portion of one of said bodies adjacent the outerside of the column and in which the member entering said recess is in`the form of a bail extending about said body portion.

l0. A coke oven door comprising a relatively rigid metallic outersection and an inner plug section and a sealing member comprising arelatively flexible through plate interposed between said outer and plugsections, plug section supporting means secured to the bottom of said`plate and extending beneath the plug section and through which theweight of the latter is supported by said plate, a connection betweenthe upper portions of said plate and outer section through which saidplate is supported and vertically distributed connections between saidplate and outer section below the first mentioned connection, each ofsaid distributing connections including a part rigidly secured to saidplate intermediate and at a substantial distance from each of the twovertical side edges of the plate and means connecting said part to theouter section preventing their relative movement in a horizontaldirection and permitting relative movement in a vertical direction.

11. In a self-sealing coke ove-n door, the combination of a beam-likemetallic outer section, an inner plug section, |a sealing membercomprising a relatively exible through plate interposed between saidouter and plug sections, supporting means secured to said plate throughwhich the latter supports the weight of the plug section, a connectionbetween the upper portions of said plate and outer section through whichthe latter supports the weight of the plate and plug sections, otherconnections between said outer section and plate engaging verticallyspaced apart portions of the plate below the first mentioned connectionand between and displaced from each of the two side edges of the plateand opposing movement of said portions toward and away from said outersection, adjusting connections between said outer section and portionsof said plate distributed along the margin of the latter, and meansacting on said outer section to press said sealing member against, andinto sealing engagement with a door frame, and adapted to subject said-outer section to upper and lower sealing forces at levels respectivelybelow the top and above the bottom of the door, and of magnitudessucient to bend said outer section and thereby bend said sealing memberinto engagement with said sealing surface at points intermediate the topand bottom of the door, when but for such bending action, the sealingmember would engage the sealing surface only adjacent the top and bottomof the door.

BENJAMIN A. FREEMAN.

